.
The Ambassadors’ Forum is a joint initiative of Diplomatic Courier magazine, Meridian International Center, and the Council of American Ambassadors. The Series captures the views of Ambassadors from around the world on the critical role of diplomacy in addressing current global challenges. In this issue, Meridian’s President Ambassador Stuart Holliday interviews Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, Ambassador of Italy to the United States on the occasion of the opening of Expo Milano 2015 this May.
Ambassador Bisogniero has a long and successful career in diplomatic relations with the United States. From 1992 to 1996, he served at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC as First Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs, with special focus on financial issues, relations with the IMF and the World Bank, think tanks, and defense-industry co-operation. In 1996, he was assigned to the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations in New York, with primary responsibility for political affairs and UN reform. During this period he served as a member of the Italian delegation in the UN Security Council in 1996 and as a member of the Italian delegations to the 50th, 51st, 52nd, and 53rd UN General Assemblies.
In 1999, he returned home, serving first with the Division of Personnel and then with the Office of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as direct collaborator to the Secretary General. In February 2002, he was appointed Deputy Director General for Political Multilateral Affairs—Deputy Political Director—responsible for NATO, United Nations, G8, disarmament, OSCE, anti-terrorism, and human rights.
In June 2005, he was named Director General for the Americas, with responsibility for the relations of Italy with the United States, Canada, and all the countries of Latin America. In October 2007, he took up his duties as NATO Deputy Secretary General, responsible for a variety of security and strategic issues on the Alliance’s agenda; he also followed the NATO Summits in Bucharest, Strasbourg/Kiel and Lisbon, and worked actively in the preparatory phase for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago. Ambassador Bisogniero presented his credentials to U.S. President Barack Obama on January 18, 2012.
Stuart Holliday: I'm joined today by Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero of Italy. We are very pleased, in this forum, to bring together thought leaders, ambassadors and policymakers in a discussion that's centered around international affairs. And I'm also very pleased that we are joined by the Council of American Ambassadors and the Diplomatic Courier in this effort. Ambassador, welcome.
Claudio Bisogniero: It's a great pleasure to be here.
Stuart Holliday: There are big plans for the World's Exposition in Milan, which is a great platform to showcase not only Italy, but the issue of sustainability and food security. What can you tell us about the purpose behind this exposition and what you hope to accomplish?
Claudio Bisogniero: Well, this is going to be a great event and there is a great purpose behind it. I think the leaders of the world have a great responsibility, the need to feed 9.5 billion people by 2050. It's a huge task, it's a huge responsibility and we have to do it in a safe, healthy and stable way. Secretary of State John Kerry is underlining the need to push for this target because there is a very strict link and connection between the capability to provide nutrition for populations and to ensure stability and security. If there is hunger, there will be very little security in the world.
So it's a great task that we have ahead of us. We look forward to a great event with more than 140 countries participating. We expect more than 20 million visitors in Milan in those six months, beginning on May 1st until the end of October. Everything is now in place to make it one of the greatest events of 2015.
Stuart Holliday: Excellent. Ambassador, because the Milan Expo will focus on sustainability and food security, this will be a very important event, but what can governments and international organizations do going forward to create more cooperation and collaboration on this important subject?
Claudio Bisogniero: Expo 2015 in Milan would obviously be the place where countries will be able to showcase their technology, their know-how in the field of food, agriculture, healthy nutrition, and safe food. There are now discussions, workshops, and meetings to address these crucial issues of feeding so many billions of people in our planet with limited resources.
It should also be very clear that if we continue along the current path, the resources to feed our global population would not be there. So we need to do something about this. I guess that the discussions, the meetings, the workshops will provide a crucial element in finding the solutions for this task. There may be solutions in the economic and social field, and there may be some technological solutions, but that's what Expo Milan is going to be all about.
Stuart Holliday: Will there be some kind of declaration or points of agreement between countries that will come out of the Expo?
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely. There will be a document called the Milan Charter that will be discussed and adopted at the end of the exhibition, and this is not a treaty, it is not an intergovernmental document, it's a document originating just by the people's discussion at the Expo Milan 2015. By the way, Pope Francis, himself, addressed the opening session of these discussions. And I think actually the Pope made a very strong comment. He made the point that there is a clear paradox between the under-nutrition which exists among hundreds of millions of people around the world and the overcapacity and even the waste – the obesity and waste that exists in other parts of the world. So it's a very strong point. The Milan Charter will be certainly one of the legacies coming out of the Expo 2015.
Stuart Holliday: Ambassador, we hear a lot about genetically modified foods. For some people they are scary, for other people they are the hope for feeding the world, and they're an issue with respect to the European Union. Countries have their own positions. What could you tell us about recent legislation or the view of this leading up to the Milan Expo?
Claudio Bisogniero: Well, I think that Milan Expo 2015 will be, as I mentioned, not only an opportunity to showcase products and know-how, but also a place to put forth ideas, proposals, and techniques. And there may be issues on which the views do not coincide 100 percent, but this is what the purpose of the exercise is all about. It is to confront the ideas, views, and proposals pertaining to food, agriculture, and nutrition. So I would actually suggest to the supporters and promoters of GMOs to be in Milan and to make their point very clearly and very strongly.
Stuart Holliday: And there will be corporate representation at the expo?
Claudio Bisogniero: Yes - there is going to be a large corporate representation. There are going to be many from the scientific and industrial communities, so this is exactly the place where these issues should be addressed.
Stuart Holliday: It's a perfect opportunity to shed some light on the issues and put forward the facts.
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely.
Stuart Holliday: Italy also has an interesting initiative in the solar energy arena, and we're talking about sustainability on a larger scale. What can you tell us about what Italy is doing to look at energy diversification but maybe, specifically, at solar?
Claudio Bisogniero: Well, I have to say that sustainable and renewable energy would be really one of the key points of the whole exercise of Expo 2015 in Milan. When you think about the impact of climate on agriculture and food, something needs to be done to address those problems and renewable energies are a key element of these things called, “smart grids” and things like that could really help a lot.
Indeed, Italy is among the leading countries in the domain of renewable energy. For instance, we are the third largest country in the world, in terms of installed capacity for solar energy and highly developed industry in that domain. This is why ENEL, the Italian state power company - it's a very large enterprise - will be present in Milan with its own pavilion. ENEL, in particular its green power branch, is very active worldwide in promoting plants and installing plants in the renewable energy sector, including, for instance, in the United States, they have about 100 plants in the U.S. in 21 states.
Stuart Holliday: Really?
Claudio Bisogniero: In the fields of solar energy and geothermal energy. So once again, a crucial theme in the field of nutrition and food.
Stuart Holliday: Another important element is the so-called WE project and the role women can play in sustainability. Will this also be elevated as an issue?
Claudio Bisogniero: It will. Women for Expo (WE) is a great project. It has been launched by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Mondadori Foundation. And it recognizes the importance that women, with their leadership, with their sensitivity, and their know-how have in these crucial themes. There is a clear alliance between food and culture, and women have a key role to play in that domain. So this is going to be really a key component of the whole exercise.
Stuart Holliday: And you mentioned culture. For many people, and especially in Italy, food is such an important element of cultural diplomacy. So this, I’m imagining, will be an opportunity for countries to showcase their own cultures from a culinary perspective.
Claudio Bisogniero: It will, with no doubt. You're right about Italy and Italy's role in international cuisine. We are very proud of it. In fact, going back to women and the WE project within Expo, there is going to be a project based on the “Recipe for Life”. These are recipes chosen by women that have a special meaning for them, for their family, for their cultural traditions, and it is going to be very important in the proceedings.
Stuart Holliday: I see - from different countries from around the world?
Claudio Bisogniero: Yes.
Stuart Holliday: Excellent. So from a tourism standpoint or an economic development standpoint, do you expect the Milan Expo to be a boom for Milan? Milan is already home to many important gatherings, but this is obviously a very big undertaking.
Claudio Bisogniero: It is. And obviously we expect a very large number of visitors, more than 20 million visitors during the six months. It's a huge number as you can imagine. And while they would be visiting Expo in Milan, we also hope they will be visiting the surrounding areas, Lombardy and Piedmont, but also frankly the whole of Italy. And we have developed a program by which many cultural projects will be displayed during the Expo. As a matter of fact, as many as 1,300 projects all over Italy, meaning exhibitions, opera, concerts, photographic shows, and things like that. So we do hope that the participants to Expo will be able to enjoy as much as possible.
Stuart Holliday: So Milan almost becomes a gateway into Italy for this period of time.
Claudio Bisogniero: This is exactly what will happen. Under normal conditions, we have every year about five million American tourists to Italy. It's a huge number. It's second largest in terms of visitors to Italy, the first one is Germany but immediately afterwards, the United States. And we hope that the Expo will bring even more visitors to our country to be able to visit and to appreciate the many things we have to offer in terms of the Italian landscapes, the artistic beauties, the great Italian cuisine, as everybody knows, and even, you know, the Italian lifestyle is something everybody enjoys a lot.
Stuart Holliday: A wonderful culture. We have an upcoming visit by the Prime Minister of Italy to the United States to meet with President Obama in April. What is the purpose of this particular meeting and are there specific things you're working towards? Obviously, U.S. participation in the Expo is important, but we are also dealing with other major challenges on a global basis.
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely. We are waiting on this important meeting at the White House between President Obama and the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, which will take place on April 17th. Obviously, Italy and the U.S. enjoy very close collaboration on many, many issues in the political, security, economic, and cultural fields. I presume that the discussion will address all of those.
There are some very pressing matters, as you know including the collaboration against international terrorists and the situation in Libya are reasons for concern for us, as well as the presence of ISIL in areas of the Middle East. And by the way, Italy is very actively involved in the fight against ISIL. The situation in Ukraine and the relations with Russia will also be at the heart of the discussion. But also issues like Afghanistan, obviously, climate change, and energy security. So as you can see, there is a wide range of issues that will be discussed.
And I would also add to those probably the economic situation in Europe. Europe is finally emerging from the crisis, the financial crisis of the past few years. In Italy, we promote activities which are based certainly on budget discipline which is, frankly, equally as important as economic growth and job creation. We also strongly believe that in order to get out of the crisis, Europe and Italy would need much more economic growth and job creation, and it's an approach on which the U.S. Administration also has the same position.
Stuart Holliday: Mr. Ambassador, if I could, in closing, perhaps ask a little bit about serving as Ambassador from Italy to the United States. We have enormous history, our two countries, but the United States is a big country. In addition to being an aviator, you have also been representing Italy throughout the United States and have had the opportunity to travel. I was wondering if you could share with us the importance of getting “beyond the Beltway”, as we say here in Washington.
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely. Well, first of all, to be Italian Ambassador to the United States is a great responsibility. I notice in my interlocutors a distinctive positive reaction when I say that I am the Italian Ambassador. There's a lot of affection for my country for reasons that are known, the Italian great traditions in art, in music, in cuisine, and the kind of lifestyle. So people really love Italy.
And the work here, as an ambassador ranges from the traditional political and security domain to pursuing stronger economic and trade ties between the two countries, to promote the Italian culture, and to promote the Italian language.
Stuart Holliday: Tell us about the “Year of Italian Culture” in 2013.
Claudio Bisogniero: There were more than 300 events throughout the U.S. Obviously, this job could not be done in Washington only, and one really needed to reach out to the different regions of this great country. I visited all 50 states and I'm very proud of that. When we organized the Year of Italian Culture in 2013, we organized more than 300 events in 60 American cities across the nation, from sea to shining sea.
So this really shows that the work of an ambassador in the United States must not be limited to the great Capitol, which we love, but there is so much to see and to discover. By traveling across the country, I discovered many economic activities done by Italian companies who have invested here. I also found out about American companies who have major activities with Italy, universities who have Italian classes and courses, or who have a campus in Italy from Rome to Siena to Sicily. So, I have made many great discoveries in traveling throughout the country and pursuing the interests of my nation together with the United States.
Stuart Holliday: Excellent, Mr. Ambassador. Well, thank you very much, and we hope that our readers will visit Milan and that any businesses and corporations that are inclined to support the efforts of Expo Milan, will see this as a very important forum. We thank you for your service, Ambassador.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
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Interview with Claudio Bisogniero, Ambassador of Italy to the United States
Global Business or International Corporate as Art
May 15, 2015
The Ambassadors’ Forum is a joint initiative of Diplomatic Courier magazine, Meridian International Center, and the Council of American Ambassadors. The Series captures the views of Ambassadors from around the world on the critical role of diplomacy in addressing current global challenges. In this issue, Meridian’s President Ambassador Stuart Holliday interviews Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, Ambassador of Italy to the United States on the occasion of the opening of Expo Milano 2015 this May.
Ambassador Bisogniero has a long and successful career in diplomatic relations with the United States. From 1992 to 1996, he served at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC as First Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs, with special focus on financial issues, relations with the IMF and the World Bank, think tanks, and defense-industry co-operation. In 1996, he was assigned to the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations in New York, with primary responsibility for political affairs and UN reform. During this period he served as a member of the Italian delegation in the UN Security Council in 1996 and as a member of the Italian delegations to the 50th, 51st, 52nd, and 53rd UN General Assemblies.
In 1999, he returned home, serving first with the Division of Personnel and then with the Office of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as direct collaborator to the Secretary General. In February 2002, he was appointed Deputy Director General for Political Multilateral Affairs—Deputy Political Director—responsible for NATO, United Nations, G8, disarmament, OSCE, anti-terrorism, and human rights.
In June 2005, he was named Director General for the Americas, with responsibility for the relations of Italy with the United States, Canada, and all the countries of Latin America. In October 2007, he took up his duties as NATO Deputy Secretary General, responsible for a variety of security and strategic issues on the Alliance’s agenda; he also followed the NATO Summits in Bucharest, Strasbourg/Kiel and Lisbon, and worked actively in the preparatory phase for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago. Ambassador Bisogniero presented his credentials to U.S. President Barack Obama on January 18, 2012.
Stuart Holliday: I'm joined today by Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero of Italy. We are very pleased, in this forum, to bring together thought leaders, ambassadors and policymakers in a discussion that's centered around international affairs. And I'm also very pleased that we are joined by the Council of American Ambassadors and the Diplomatic Courier in this effort. Ambassador, welcome.
Claudio Bisogniero: It's a great pleasure to be here.
Stuart Holliday: There are big plans for the World's Exposition in Milan, which is a great platform to showcase not only Italy, but the issue of sustainability and food security. What can you tell us about the purpose behind this exposition and what you hope to accomplish?
Claudio Bisogniero: Well, this is going to be a great event and there is a great purpose behind it. I think the leaders of the world have a great responsibility, the need to feed 9.5 billion people by 2050. It's a huge task, it's a huge responsibility and we have to do it in a safe, healthy and stable way. Secretary of State John Kerry is underlining the need to push for this target because there is a very strict link and connection between the capability to provide nutrition for populations and to ensure stability and security. If there is hunger, there will be very little security in the world.
So it's a great task that we have ahead of us. We look forward to a great event with more than 140 countries participating. We expect more than 20 million visitors in Milan in those six months, beginning on May 1st until the end of October. Everything is now in place to make it one of the greatest events of 2015.
Stuart Holliday: Excellent. Ambassador, because the Milan Expo will focus on sustainability and food security, this will be a very important event, but what can governments and international organizations do going forward to create more cooperation and collaboration on this important subject?
Claudio Bisogniero: Expo 2015 in Milan would obviously be the place where countries will be able to showcase their technology, their know-how in the field of food, agriculture, healthy nutrition, and safe food. There are now discussions, workshops, and meetings to address these crucial issues of feeding so many billions of people in our planet with limited resources.
It should also be very clear that if we continue along the current path, the resources to feed our global population would not be there. So we need to do something about this. I guess that the discussions, the meetings, the workshops will provide a crucial element in finding the solutions for this task. There may be solutions in the economic and social field, and there may be some technological solutions, but that's what Expo Milan is going to be all about.
Stuart Holliday: Will there be some kind of declaration or points of agreement between countries that will come out of the Expo?
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely. There will be a document called the Milan Charter that will be discussed and adopted at the end of the exhibition, and this is not a treaty, it is not an intergovernmental document, it's a document originating just by the people's discussion at the Expo Milan 2015. By the way, Pope Francis, himself, addressed the opening session of these discussions. And I think actually the Pope made a very strong comment. He made the point that there is a clear paradox between the under-nutrition which exists among hundreds of millions of people around the world and the overcapacity and even the waste – the obesity and waste that exists in other parts of the world. So it's a very strong point. The Milan Charter will be certainly one of the legacies coming out of the Expo 2015.
Stuart Holliday: Ambassador, we hear a lot about genetically modified foods. For some people they are scary, for other people they are the hope for feeding the world, and they're an issue with respect to the European Union. Countries have their own positions. What could you tell us about recent legislation or the view of this leading up to the Milan Expo?
Claudio Bisogniero: Well, I think that Milan Expo 2015 will be, as I mentioned, not only an opportunity to showcase products and know-how, but also a place to put forth ideas, proposals, and techniques. And there may be issues on which the views do not coincide 100 percent, but this is what the purpose of the exercise is all about. It is to confront the ideas, views, and proposals pertaining to food, agriculture, and nutrition. So I would actually suggest to the supporters and promoters of GMOs to be in Milan and to make their point very clearly and very strongly.
Stuart Holliday: And there will be corporate representation at the expo?
Claudio Bisogniero: Yes - there is going to be a large corporate representation. There are going to be many from the scientific and industrial communities, so this is exactly the place where these issues should be addressed.
Stuart Holliday: It's a perfect opportunity to shed some light on the issues and put forward the facts.
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely.
Stuart Holliday: Italy also has an interesting initiative in the solar energy arena, and we're talking about sustainability on a larger scale. What can you tell us about what Italy is doing to look at energy diversification but maybe, specifically, at solar?
Claudio Bisogniero: Well, I have to say that sustainable and renewable energy would be really one of the key points of the whole exercise of Expo 2015 in Milan. When you think about the impact of climate on agriculture and food, something needs to be done to address those problems and renewable energies are a key element of these things called, “smart grids” and things like that could really help a lot.
Indeed, Italy is among the leading countries in the domain of renewable energy. For instance, we are the third largest country in the world, in terms of installed capacity for solar energy and highly developed industry in that domain. This is why ENEL, the Italian state power company - it's a very large enterprise - will be present in Milan with its own pavilion. ENEL, in particular its green power branch, is very active worldwide in promoting plants and installing plants in the renewable energy sector, including, for instance, in the United States, they have about 100 plants in the U.S. in 21 states.
Stuart Holliday: Really?
Claudio Bisogniero: In the fields of solar energy and geothermal energy. So once again, a crucial theme in the field of nutrition and food.
Stuart Holliday: Another important element is the so-called WE project and the role women can play in sustainability. Will this also be elevated as an issue?
Claudio Bisogniero: It will. Women for Expo (WE) is a great project. It has been launched by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Mondadori Foundation. And it recognizes the importance that women, with their leadership, with their sensitivity, and their know-how have in these crucial themes. There is a clear alliance between food and culture, and women have a key role to play in that domain. So this is going to be really a key component of the whole exercise.
Stuart Holliday: And you mentioned culture. For many people, and especially in Italy, food is such an important element of cultural diplomacy. So this, I’m imagining, will be an opportunity for countries to showcase their own cultures from a culinary perspective.
Claudio Bisogniero: It will, with no doubt. You're right about Italy and Italy's role in international cuisine. We are very proud of it. In fact, going back to women and the WE project within Expo, there is going to be a project based on the “Recipe for Life”. These are recipes chosen by women that have a special meaning for them, for their family, for their cultural traditions, and it is going to be very important in the proceedings.
Stuart Holliday: I see - from different countries from around the world?
Claudio Bisogniero: Yes.
Stuart Holliday: Excellent. So from a tourism standpoint or an economic development standpoint, do you expect the Milan Expo to be a boom for Milan? Milan is already home to many important gatherings, but this is obviously a very big undertaking.
Claudio Bisogniero: It is. And obviously we expect a very large number of visitors, more than 20 million visitors during the six months. It's a huge number as you can imagine. And while they would be visiting Expo in Milan, we also hope they will be visiting the surrounding areas, Lombardy and Piedmont, but also frankly the whole of Italy. And we have developed a program by which many cultural projects will be displayed during the Expo. As a matter of fact, as many as 1,300 projects all over Italy, meaning exhibitions, opera, concerts, photographic shows, and things like that. So we do hope that the participants to Expo will be able to enjoy as much as possible.
Stuart Holliday: So Milan almost becomes a gateway into Italy for this period of time.
Claudio Bisogniero: This is exactly what will happen. Under normal conditions, we have every year about five million American tourists to Italy. It's a huge number. It's second largest in terms of visitors to Italy, the first one is Germany but immediately afterwards, the United States. And we hope that the Expo will bring even more visitors to our country to be able to visit and to appreciate the many things we have to offer in terms of the Italian landscapes, the artistic beauties, the great Italian cuisine, as everybody knows, and even, you know, the Italian lifestyle is something everybody enjoys a lot.
Stuart Holliday: A wonderful culture. We have an upcoming visit by the Prime Minister of Italy to the United States to meet with President Obama in April. What is the purpose of this particular meeting and are there specific things you're working towards? Obviously, U.S. participation in the Expo is important, but we are also dealing with other major challenges on a global basis.
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely. We are waiting on this important meeting at the White House between President Obama and the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, which will take place on April 17th. Obviously, Italy and the U.S. enjoy very close collaboration on many, many issues in the political, security, economic, and cultural fields. I presume that the discussion will address all of those.
There are some very pressing matters, as you know including the collaboration against international terrorists and the situation in Libya are reasons for concern for us, as well as the presence of ISIL in areas of the Middle East. And by the way, Italy is very actively involved in the fight against ISIL. The situation in Ukraine and the relations with Russia will also be at the heart of the discussion. But also issues like Afghanistan, obviously, climate change, and energy security. So as you can see, there is a wide range of issues that will be discussed.
And I would also add to those probably the economic situation in Europe. Europe is finally emerging from the crisis, the financial crisis of the past few years. In Italy, we promote activities which are based certainly on budget discipline which is, frankly, equally as important as economic growth and job creation. We also strongly believe that in order to get out of the crisis, Europe and Italy would need much more economic growth and job creation, and it's an approach on which the U.S. Administration also has the same position.
Stuart Holliday: Mr. Ambassador, if I could, in closing, perhaps ask a little bit about serving as Ambassador from Italy to the United States. We have enormous history, our two countries, but the United States is a big country. In addition to being an aviator, you have also been representing Italy throughout the United States and have had the opportunity to travel. I was wondering if you could share with us the importance of getting “beyond the Beltway”, as we say here in Washington.
Claudio Bisogniero: Absolutely. Well, first of all, to be Italian Ambassador to the United States is a great responsibility. I notice in my interlocutors a distinctive positive reaction when I say that I am the Italian Ambassador. There's a lot of affection for my country for reasons that are known, the Italian great traditions in art, in music, in cuisine, and the kind of lifestyle. So people really love Italy.
And the work here, as an ambassador ranges from the traditional political and security domain to pursuing stronger economic and trade ties between the two countries, to promote the Italian culture, and to promote the Italian language.
Stuart Holliday: Tell us about the “Year of Italian Culture” in 2013.
Claudio Bisogniero: There were more than 300 events throughout the U.S. Obviously, this job could not be done in Washington only, and one really needed to reach out to the different regions of this great country. I visited all 50 states and I'm very proud of that. When we organized the Year of Italian Culture in 2013, we organized more than 300 events in 60 American cities across the nation, from sea to shining sea.
So this really shows that the work of an ambassador in the United States must not be limited to the great Capitol, which we love, but there is so much to see and to discover. By traveling across the country, I discovered many economic activities done by Italian companies who have invested here. I also found out about American companies who have major activities with Italy, universities who have Italian classes and courses, or who have a campus in Italy from Rome to Siena to Sicily. So, I have made many great discoveries in traveling throughout the country and pursuing the interests of my nation together with the United States.
Stuart Holliday: Excellent, Mr. Ambassador. Well, thank you very much, and we hope that our readers will visit Milan and that any businesses and corporations that are inclined to support the efforts of Expo Milan, will see this as a very important forum. We thank you for your service, Ambassador.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
